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Talk to Sky Customer ServicesWed, 09 May 2018 09:49:07 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.17Sky Atlantic’s True Detective Misses Out On Emmy Gloryhttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/08/26/sky-atlantics-true-detective-misses-emmy-glory/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/08/26/sky-atlantics-true-detective-misses-emmy-glory/#respondTue, 26 Aug 2014 13:43:22 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=186The Sky Atlantic and HBO production that received enormous praise from critics and audiences earlier this year, True Detective, missed out on glory at the Emmy awards last night. The TV show’s first season was one of the favourites to take home many of the prestigious TV awards ceremony’s top prizes. It was shortlisted for […]

]]>The Sky Atlantic and HBO production that received enormous praise from critics and audiences earlier this year, True Detective, missed out on glory at the Emmy awards last night.

The TV show’s first season was one of the favourites to take home many of the prestigious TV awards ceremony’s top prizes. It was shortlisted for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series and twice in the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series category. However, it did not win any of them.

True Detective was beaten out by the AMC show Breaking Bad which aired its final season last autumn. The two principal leads, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, managed to pip True Detective’s stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson to the post. Breaking Bad’s writer Moira Walley Beckett also won the writing award ahead of True Detective’s show-runner Nic Pizzolatto. Finally, it won the big award at the end of the night: Outstanding Drama Series.

True Detective was an eight-part character study about two detectives investigating a series of occult murders. It spanned over a decade and captured their tumultuous relationship amid the search for a killer on the loose. Millions of viewers tuned in for the series on Sky Atlantic.

Despite it only being a few hours after the Emmy awards, people are already speculating the reasons for True Detective’s surprise loss. The show-runner and writer Nic Pizzolatto was embroiled in a plagiarism row prior to the Emmy awards. The editor of a website dedicated to author Thomas Ligotti accused him of stealing speeches from the book The Conspiracy Against The Human Race. Nic Pizzolatto fiercely denied these claims.

Matthew McConaughey, who was the bookie’s favourite to win the Outstanding Actor award, may have been shoved out in favour of Bryan Cranston due to his Academy Award win. Voters who had already seen the actor win a major industry award this year for his work on the movie Dallas Buyers Club may have picked the TV favourite Bryan Cranston instead.

True Detective’s second season is due to air next summer on HBO and Sky Atlantic. It will be a different story with a new setting and new characters. The story is rumoured to focus on a Southern Californian conspiracy and three detectives trying to uncover the truth. The cast has not yet been revealed but Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch and Mad Men’s Elizabeth Moss are among the latest rumours for the lead roles with Vince Vaughn surprisingly in talks for a role as the villain.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/08/26/sky-atlantics-true-detective-misses-emmy-glory/feed/0Sky Introduces Plans To Boost Ethnic Representation In Showshttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/08/18/sky-introduces-plans-boost-ethnic-representation-shows/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/08/18/sky-introduces-plans-boost-ethnic-representation-shows/#respondMon, 18 Aug 2014 09:11:23 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=183Sky is concerned about not providing a fair representation of ethnic minorities in its programming. The television provider is currently setting out a series of measures in an effort to boost the numbers of black, Asian and other ethnic minorities on several of its networks. These include Sky 1, Sky Arts, Sky Living and its […]

]]>Sky is concerned about not providing a fair representation of ethnic minorities in its programming. The television provider is currently setting out a series of measures in an effort to boost the numbers of black, Asian and other ethnic minorities on several of its networks. These include Sky 1, Sky Arts, Sky Living and its home for American drama Sky Atlantic.

The fears that minorities are not being fairly represented stem from figures that show how 10.7 million UK and Ireland subscribers to Sky are from ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, they are implementing measures to increase the number of minorities on-screen. They hope to raise the current number to at least 20 per cent.

However, it’s not just representation on-screen that Sky Television are worried about. It’s also the lack of off-screen talent working for the company. In response, it has committed to offer a 12 month placement for someone to work in its commissioning team. This will be part of the Creative Diversity Network’s Commissioning Leadership Programme.

The director of entertainment at Sky, Mr. Stuart Murphy, said:

Sky is dedicated to making programmes that feel representative of every one of the millions of viewers that watch our content every day, whatever their colour. So we have tackled the issue with the same sense of ambition that we show in all other areas of our business, setting ourselves a set of tangible goals that will hold us to account. Our aim is to kick start a sea change in the on screen representation of ethnic minorities on British television. It’s an incredibly exciting time, and I am very proud that Sky is going to be at the forefront.

Sky is one of the largest producers of entertainment programming in Europe. The company, which is partly controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his company 21st Century Fox, spends over $1 billion every year on producing comedy and drama shows. Some of the most popular include the Chris O’Dowd comedy Moone Boy and the Ruth Jones starring Stella.

The announcement that Sky will introduce a quota of at least 20 per cent of ethnic minorities follows a similar decision by the BBC to set a level of at least 15 per cent. Similarly, it comes after a scathing attack on the British entertainment media by actor and comedian Lenny Henry. He wrote about how actors from ethnic backgrounds have to leave the UK to achieve success such as Mandela’s Idris Elba and 12 Years A Slave’s Chiwetel Ejiofor.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/08/18/sky-introduces-plans-boost-ethnic-representation-shows/feed/0The Price Of Sky TV Could Increase By 10%http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/07/14/price-sky-tv-increase-10/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/07/14/price-sky-tv-increase-10/#respondMon, 14 Jul 2014 11:04:31 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=180Sky has announced that the price of its Sky TV packages will increase at the beginning of September 2014. The price hikes will affect customers who are about to sign up for Sky television as well as those who have not had their subscription for 12 months before September 1st 2014. The prices are expected […]

]]>Sky has announced that the price of its Sky TV packages will increase at the beginning of September 2014. The price hikes will affect customers who are about to sign up for Sky television as well as those who have not had their subscription for 12 months before September 1st 2014. The prices are expected to increase by up to 10% after this date.

The announcement came in the form of a small text statement on the bottom of the company’s Sky television subscription page. It said, “in accordance with our standard terms your Sky TV package may rise by up to 10% in a minimum contract term” followed by a brief one line statement at the bottom which describes the price rise from September.

This would not be the first time that Sky has quietly posted a message like this on its website. The telecoms company that also supplies telephone and broadband services did a similar thing in 2012 when Sky hiked prices by up to 7.5% via an announcement on their online store. However, Sky has said that customers will get a full confirmation of how much the bills will increase by soon.

Although Sky has advertised that their price rises are going to be ‘up to 10%’ it’s very unlikely that they will be this high. Not only would they lose a great deal of customers with such steep hikes, but it would also give their closest rival BT the upper hand.

At the moment, Sky offers three bundles for their television services. There’s the Original one that costs £21.50 per month, there’s the Variety one that clocks in at £27 per month and the Family bundle that is around £32 per month. There are also extras available such as Sky Movies and Sky Sports that cost £16 and £22 per month, respectively.

A spokesperson for Sky said this about the changes:

We work hard to keep any rises to a minimum, ensuring we continue to offer our customers great value. We will be writing to customers in July outlining any changes.

Even prior to the proposed price hikes in September 2014, Sky are the most expensive of all the paid TV providers. The average monthly cost is £2 cheaper with Virgin and £4 cheaper with BT. However, this does not take into account the fact that there is a £25 set up fee with BT as well as a £15.99 cost for line rental.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/07/14/price-sky-tv-increase-10/feed/0Virgin CEO Mocks Sky’s Broadband Servicehttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/07/07/virgin-ceo-mocks-skys-broadband-service/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/07/07/virgin-ceo-mocks-skys-broadband-service/#respondMon, 07 Jul 2014 12:22:42 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=177Virgin Media’s Chief Executive has mocked the company’s closest rival. Tom Mockridge has hit out at Sky by describing their broadband service as “lousy” in comparison to Virgin’s. Mr. Mockridge made these comments whilst speaking to journalists from The Mirror. He criticised Sky’s latest broadband offer which sees their customers receive two years of free […]

]]>Virgin Media’s Chief Executive has mocked the company’s closest rival. Tom Mockridge has hit out at Sky by describing their broadband service as “lousy” in comparison to Virgin’s.

Mr. Mockridge made these comments whilst speaking to journalists from The Mirror. He criticised Sky’s latest broadband offer which sees their customers receive two years of free internet when they take out a subscription with Sky Sports.

The Sky deal was viewed by critics as an attempt to take on BT. BT’s sports channel BT Sports will remain a free service to those who are using their home broadband for 2014 and 2015.

Tom Mockridge, who actually worked at Sky as their Deputy Chairman between 2012 and 2013, said customers would “see through” their attack on BT.

He stated: “You have got to think, if someone is going to give you their broadband for free, it means their broadband is maybe not that good.” He also said that customers who are suffering with an operator who cannot provide a good connection should consider “switching to a proper operator”.

Tom Mockridge gave the interview in promotion of his company’s own fixed line offering. He told the newspaper that Virgin is making an investment of over £1 billion every year in its broadband network.

He continued: “Frankly, the bigger we get, the more money that has to go in.”

These recent comments by the Chief Executive Officer are only going to add fuel to the fire of Virgin’s rivalry with Sky. The two providers have competed for British customers for a great many years. Sky may have the largest customer base but the National Customer Satisfaction Index has them ahead.

The National Customer Satisfaction Index said Virgin Media’s customer satisfaction reached 71% whereas Sky’s was 69%. The other two major broadband providers in the UK, TalkTalk and BT, lagged behind with 67% and 65%.

The Sky broadband offer is being advertised as the provider’s “best ever broadband offer”. It allows customers to get two years of free Sky Broadband Unlimited when they activate Sky Sports 5.

The channel is being touted as Sky’s new home for European football. It will show matches from top-tier leagues around Europe such as Spain’s La Liga as well as UEFA Champions League matches. The broadband offer is an attempt to market the new channel.

Sky are estimating that it will save £330 over two years compared to what is currently being offered by the company’s rival BT.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/07/07/virgin-ceo-mocks-skys-broadband-service/feed/0Sky Atlantic To Broadcast The Unknown Knownhttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/20/sky-atlantic-broadcast-unknown-known/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/20/sky-atlantic-broadcast-unknown-known/#respondFri, 20 Jun 2014 14:27:21 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=144Sky Atlantic have scheduled the new Errol Morris documentary The Unknown Known to show on the channel this week. It will broadcast on Tuesday night at 9pm. The film is the latest in a series of documentaries created by the American filmmaker in which he interviews a famous political figure. The most famous documentary he […]

]]>Sky Atlantic have scheduled the new Errol Morris documentary The Unknown Known to show on the channel this week. It will broadcast on Tuesday night at 9pm.

The film is the latest in a series of documentaries created by the American filmmaker in which he interviews a famous political figure. The most famous documentary he has made was the Oscar winning The Fog Of War in which he grilled the former US Secretary Of Defence Robert S. McNamara who played an integral part in waging the Vietnam War.

The film is famous because Errol Morris, who is renowned for his hardened interviewing style, managed to extract a lot of information from Mr. McNamara that he had not previously divulged before. He even admitted to feeling like he was responsible for war crimes in killing 100,000 civilians during a firebombing of Tokyo as a young officer.

The Unknown Known follows the same format, but this time he will interview the controversial Secretary Of Defence Donald Rumsfeld who served in the Bush administration. It will see Errol Morris question him about the Iraq War, September 11th and much more.

Errol Morris has developed relationships with many of the subjects of his interviews including Joyce McKinney – a former American beauty queen he interviewed for Tabloid who was arrested in the 1970s for abduction – and convicted murder David Harris who was arrested after his interview with Morris revealed new information about a killing in his film The Thin Blue Line.

However, Errol Morris says Donald Rumsfeld was a different case on The Unknown Known. “I don’t want to say I don’t like him,” Morris said. “I feel guilty. He gave me so much of his time. He could be unbelievably charming. But the policies really are a stumbling block for me. I did not like them to start with; I like them less now.”

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/20/sky-atlantic-broadcast-unknown-known/feed/0Sky Atlantic Grabs Two New American Showshttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/13/sky-atlantic-grab-two-new-american-shows/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/13/sky-atlantic-grab-two-new-american-shows/#respondFri, 13 Jun 2014 14:40:00 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=139Sky Atlantic has always branded itself as the UK’s home for American drama. It has acquired a slate of shows from US networks like HBO (who produce Boardwalk Empire and Game Of Thrones) and AMC (who brought to life Mad Men). That promise will continue with two new shows that will air later in 2014. […]

]]>Sky Atlantic has always branded itself as the UK’s home for American drama. It has acquired a slate of shows from US networks like HBO (who produce Boardwalk Empire and Game Of Thrones) and AMC (who brought to life Mad Men). That promise will continue with two new shows that will air later in 2014. The first is The Leftovers, and the other is The Knick.

The Leftovers will premiere in the US at the end of this month and will reach UK shores in the autumn. It’s a science fiction drama from the creator of Lost, Damon Lindelof, that is set three years after millions of the world’s population disappeared without explanation. The cast will include the Mulholland Drive star Justin Theroux and former Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston.

The Knick is the next TV project from director Stephen Soderbergh. He was the movie director behind projects like Erin Brockovich, Oceans Eleven and Magic Mike. He announced his retirement from cinema after the mystery film Side Effects. He has since focused on producing TV, seeing huge success with the HBO movie Behind The Candelabra.

This show tells the 10-part story about the staff and surgeons at New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital who made great medical strides in the early 1900s. The show will be broadcast on Cinemax in the USA and stars the Children Of Men actor Clive Owen alongside Andre Holland, Eve Hewson and more. This will also air on Sky Atlantic in the autumn.

Sky Atlantic have also just renewed their current series Penny Dreadful for a second season. The horror drama from the Skyfall team — director Sam Mendes and screen writer John Logan — stars Eva Green, Josh Hartnett and Timothy Dalton. The second season will be extended to ten episodes long and is expected to premiere sometime in 2015.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/13/sky-atlantic-grab-two-new-american-shows/feed/0Sky Atlantic Orders Second Season Of Penny Dreadfulhttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/09/sky-atlantic-orders-second-season-penny-dreadful/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/09/sky-atlantic-orders-second-season-penny-dreadful/#respondMon, 09 Jun 2014 15:11:44 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=134After finding success with audiences and critics alike, the TV channel Sky Atlantic has agreed to commission a second season of the horror drama Penny Dreadful. While the first season of the show only ran for eight episodes, Sky have asked for the second to run at ten episodes. This is the same length as […]

]]>After finding success with audiences and critics alike, the TV channel Sky Atlantic has agreed to commission a second season of the horror drama Penny Dreadful.

While the first season of the show only ran for eight episodes, Sky have asked for the second to run at ten episodes. This is the same length as Game Of Thrones, which is currently the most popular show on the network.

Penny Dreadful has been drawing an audience figure of around 310,000 every week. This is over 41,000 more viewers that the slot — 10:30pm on Monday night — has received for the past 12 months.

The show was created for Showtime in the United States, a subscription channel that has in the past partnered its show Homeland with Channel 4 and Dexter with FX in the United Kingdom.

Penny Dreadful is inspired by old horror stories like Dracula, Frankenstein and The Picture Of Dorian Gray. It was created by John Logan who wrote the script for the Martin Scorsese 3D adventure film Hugo and James Bond movie Skyfall. Skyfall’s Oscar winning director Sam Mendes serves as the executive producer.

Stuart Murphy, the director of entertainment channels at Sky, said: “The fact that big A-list talent like Sam Mendes and John Logan are doing TV projects means that audiences are going to get a better TV experience.

“When you look at the US cable networks, they are creatively charged up and doing some really interesting stuff. The networks in America are really open to working with Brits behind the scenes in their production teams and it means the nuance of American TV has improved and that is a good thing and has impacted on us.”

Four episodes of Penny Dreadful have aired on Sky Atlantic and are available to watch on Sky Go. The fifth will air tonight at 10:30pm.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/06/09/sky-atlantic-orders-second-season-penny-dreadful/feed/0Sky TV Customers Can Get 12 Months Free Broadbandhttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/30/sky-tv-free-broadband/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/30/sky-tv-free-broadband/#respondFri, 30 May 2014 11:06:45 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=124Sky’s TV customers will have the chance to save money on their broadband services with a new special officer. Consumers who wish to subscribe to Sky for internet, calls and a TV subscription package are entitled to 12 months of free unlimited broadband. This is a saving of £7.50 per month for the first year […]

]]>Sky’s TV customers will have the chance to save money on their broadband services with a new special officer. Consumers who wish to subscribe to Sky for internet, calls and a TV subscription package are entitled to 12 months of free unlimited broadband. This is a saving of £7.50 per month for the first year and will ultimately lead to a £90 reduction in the yearly bill.

The broadband offer will come with no data caps, allowing customers to use the internet for whatever purposes they desire – be it streaming the latest movies or watching live TV. It will be on offer to all new customers who desire a Sky TV bundle that begins at £21.50 per month. The bundles include an Original Bundle, Variety Bundle and Family Bundle. You can also add on sports and movies packs for an extra cost.

Sky TV customers who also sign up for the broadband service will have access to features that other customers do not. For instance, you can sync both services, connecting the Sky box to the router, allowing you to access catch up and on demand programming. You will also be able to take advantage of the online TV service Sky Go.

It is not believed that current Sky customers who have a TV, broadband and talk package will be able to make the most of this deal. Sky do not appear to have stipulated how long this offer is available for either. Therefore, it is suggested that customers make the most of this at the earliest opportunity.

Sky has been a provider of various forms of communication and entertainment for the last 25 years. The company was founded in November 1990 following a merger between British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky Television.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/30/sky-tv-free-broadband/feed/0Sky Sports Apologises For Offensive Joke On TVhttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/29/sky-sports-apologises-for-offensive-joke-on-tv/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/29/sky-sports-apologises-for-offensive-joke-on-tv/#respondThu, 29 May 2014 14:14:48 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=93The Sky Sports presenter Ben Shepard was forced to apologise after a high profile guest made an offensive joke during the TV show Goals On Sunday. The show featured an interview with the former England manager Terry Venables ahead of the FA Cup Final. He was talking to Shepard and co host Chris Kamara about […]

]]>The Sky Sports presenter Ben Shepard was forced to apologise after a high profile guest made an offensive joke during the TV show Goals On Sunday. The show featured an interview with the former England manager Terry Venables ahead of the FA Cup Final.

He was talking to Shepard and co host Chris Kamara about a picture taken with Brian Clough, whose team Nottingham Forrest FC Venables faced in the 1991 FA Cup final when he was manager of Tottenham Hotspur FC. The picture is of the two manages holding hands. The 71 year old ex-manager said: “As I come out he grips my right hand with his left hand and I’m clamped, I’m clamped.”

He then appears to say something about how he and Clough “look like a right pair of woofters”. Chris Kamara laughs at the joke, but Ben Shepard quickly moves the conversation along to another topic.

Some users took to the social media website Twitter to talk about the comments. Alan Machnik said: “Terry Venables on Goals on Sunday using the phrase ‘couple of woofters’. Apparently he’s now booked for Top Gear to talk about black people.” Meanwhile, Barry Collins tweeted: “Whoops. A bit of low-level homophobia from Terry Venables on Goals on Sunday. That’ll do his job prospects the world of good.”

Ben Shepard apologised for the former England manager’s comments after the interview.

Richard Lane, who is a spokesperson for the gay rights organisation Stonewall, said: “This kind of language might have been acceptable in 1991 but seems really rather dated in Britain today.”

Goals On Sunday is a Sky Sports TV show that often has guest analysts looking through the highlights of a particular week’s football games. The guests will share an insight into the games and tells some amusing anecdotes about their own footballing experiences.

]]>http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/29/sky-sports-apologises-for-offensive-joke-on-tv/feed/0Sky Agrees To Clafity Cancellation Procedurehttp://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/28/sky-agrees-to-clafity-cancellation-procedure/
http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/2014/05/28/sky-agrees-to-clafity-cancellation-procedure/#respondWed, 28 May 2014 15:58:20 +0000http://www.sky-customerservice.co.uk/?p=62After a series of critical articles published by The Telegraph newspaper, Sky has confirmed it has amended the wording on its website in order to make their cancellation policy more clear. It follows an enormous amount of people complaining about poor treatment by customer service staff when they try and terminate their services with the […]

]]>After a series of critical articles published by The Telegraph newspaper, Sky has confirmed it has amended the wording on its website in order to make their cancellation policy more clear. It follows an enormous amount of people complaining about poor treatment by customer service staff when they try and terminate their services with the company. Sky will also change the wording on its paper contracts this summer.

The company has widely been regarded as one of the most awkward when it comes to cancellation. Dozens of letters and emails were received by The Telegraph when they first covered the company’s cancellation policies. Some claimed they were pressured by debt collectors while they unsuccessfully attempted to cancel Sky’s services. Others said it took more than six months for them to comply.

The director of customers services at the company, Chris Stylianou, said: “When the Telegraph first highlighted the issue, we listened and recognised the need to be clearer about the process and make it a big priority.”

He continued that while it is vital to speak to customers on the phone to verify the cancellation, thus ensuring there is sufficient proof of identification, this had not been well-communicated to their customers. It was never stated in Sky’s contracts, which many felt were misleading. Meanwhile, under the website’s hard-to-find cancellation section, it only stipulated an email option without mentioning the need for a phone call.

Sky were also criticised for their handing of direct debit cancellations. Customers who had mistakenly written to the company to cease direct debit payments often found that they went unconfirmed for months. Sky would threaten legal action and pressure customers with bailiffs, despite the customers not knowing their requests had not been processed.

The website now reads: “Please note, we won’t be able to cancel Sky services unless we’re able to verify your request over the phone.”